2023 BAL: We will try to surpass Hoopers' feat says Kwara Falcons coach 

By Olusola Adebayo 

Kwara Falcons head coach, Baba Jibril is optimistic that the Nigeria Champions will surpass the 2021 feats of River Hooper, Nigeria's representative at the Basketball Africa League, BAL. 

During a chat with Fiba.com, the former national team player stressed that the achievements of Kwara Falcons won't be a flash in the pan. 

" Rivers Hoopers have been there and we appreciate the standards they have set. It's a challenge for us to double our efforts to make a good impression too. If Kwara Falcons succeed, it's a success for Nigeria. We believe with the Kwara State government support, we will do our best to surpass the achievements of our predecessors, Rivers Hoopers." Jibril said.

River Hoopers failed to make it out of the stage in the 2021 edition of the BAL but gave a good account representing Nigeria at the tournament.

Kwara Falcons surprised many by winning the Nigeria league, this achievement coach Jibril sees as a career fulfillment for him.

"It took me two days to digest the fact that I had led Kwara Falcons to win the Nigeria Premier Basketball League title. I dare say, it's a great feeling," he confessed.

The former Nigeria national team guard admits that it was not easy reaching the final and emerging champion after missing the title last season to Rivers Hoopers. 

He recalls that reaching the successively reaching the finale that the title would come their way as the Nigeria Customs had shocked Rivers Hoopers in their Semi-Final game.

"At that point, I knew the league title could go either way and we had to put in an extra effort to emerge the new champion winning 78-53 against the Nigeria Customs."

However, Coach Jibril says he has returned from dreamland and is back to the stake reality of the tasks ahead of him.  He notes that getting to the top is not easy but that it is even more difficult to remain there.

"Kwara Falcons win is not going to be a flash in the pan. As a team, we're aware of the challenges before us and have our minds made up to face them. One of such challenges is ensuring that we stay focused and play like a champion always." 

The former Ebun Comets player states further that the management is already working round the clock to fortify the team with players and technical support to make their inaugural BAL appearance one to remember.

The Hoopers failed to advance to the knock-out stages of the inaugural season of the BAL in 2021. 

The 2023 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 3, will be the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). 

The season will begin on March 11, 2023, and end on May 27, 2023, with the final in the BK Arena in Kigali, which hosts the finals for a third season in a row.

In line with the previous season, the regular season is played in Dakar, Senegal, and Cairo, Egypt.

Kwara Falcons, Al Ahly,  ABC Fighters, and Stade Malien, will make their BAL debuts.